Thursday, August 14, 2008

Lebanese Trees


"The cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted..." Psalm 104:16

Regarding this verse, Charles Spurgeon has written:

"Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. he is not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mysterious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which He had Himself prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as his planter."

Words like these are exactly what I need when the lens I use to focus my life has a greasy smudge or I'm dizzy from the 432 things I have to do this week. Just knowing that my Redeemer lives, has chosen me and is even now caring for me is the ballast I need to stay on an even keel, no matter what kind of winds are blowing (if you're a sailing type, please forgive any inaccuracies in my metaphor). I really can't conceive living life apart from God and His supply, nurture, care, protection and discipline.
It's just exceedingly cool that those redeemed by the Lord are "a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." The Reformers cried "Soli deo gloria!" and it's true; salvation is of the Lord, for His glory alone.


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